[Summit] Speed Bumps

Tue May 18 16:14:48 UTC 2021

> Hi Everyone,
>
> We did discuss the neighborhood speed bumps on the SNA monthly Zoom
> meeting last night with Councilwoman LaFortune. She agrees that there
> should have been more transparency and discussion with the community. She
> also has spoken with DPW about the issues, and they are going to adjust the
> bumps to something more reasonable. We don't know what the timeframe is on
> this yet.
>
> I expect she will put out something about this soon so the neighborhood
> knows the status.
>
> Thanks,
> Sherry
>
> Sharon Lee Waldman
> President, SNA Board
> Providence RI
>
>
>
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> On Tue, May 18, 2021 at 11:08 AM Gayle Gifford <gayle at ceffect.com> wrote:
>
>> I am quite concerned about the lack of public engagement on the speed
>> bumps that have been installed. According to that Go Local article, there
>> was supposed to have been public engagement. The failure of anyone to reach
>> out to the neighborhood association is quite distressing.
>>
>> Ethan, is SNA considering a formal letter to Mayor Elorza expressing
>> distress at the lack of true public engagement and failure to consult the
>> neighborhood association?
>>
>> John, I remember the last time around and the decision to install the
>> bump outs. If I remember correctly one of the first choices was to convert
>> Hope Street into a Boulevard, with a median strip. That was nixed by DPW,
>> allegedly because of sewer line and other utility maintenance.
>>
>> I don't see how snow plows will deal with the Rochambeau bumps. It would
>> seem areas that are lower wouldn't be plowable, unlike an equal sized
>> across the full street bump like Kennedy Plaza. The Rochambeau hill can be
>> quite challenging in the snow and ice.
>>
>> And why  those locations on Rochambeau? I haven't driven or biked or
>> walked on Chase yet, so why there?
>>
>> I'm also wondering if these are part of the city's attempted solution to
>> the off road vehicles. It would seem their riders will either  change
>> streets once they encounter the bumps or use them for wheelies.
>>
>> Gayle
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Message: 5
>> Date: Sun, 16 May 2021 23:05:54 -0400
>> From: John Bazik <jbazik at gmail.com>
>> To: Summit List <summit at sna.providence.ri.us>
>> Subject: Re: [Summit] Speed Bumps
>> Message-ID: <64b81d2b-7033-7267-c1df-88cd312c4b4d at gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
>>
>> Here's some more information about speed bumps, humps, tables and other
>> calming measures from the US Dept of Transportation:
>>
>>
>> https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/speedmgt/ePrimer_modules/module3pt2.cfm#mod310
>>
>> DOT guidelines say humps/lumps are recommended only for local roads <= 30
>> mph, and are "typically" 12' in length and 3" high.  In its RFP, Providence
>> specified lumps 7' in length and 3" high with 2' ramps (1:8 slope):
>>
>>
>> http://www.providenceri.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/pvd20-117-CITYWIDE-SPEED-LUMPS-AND-RAISED-CROSSWALKS.pdf
>>
>> Those are pretty severe.
>>
>> John
>>
>> On 5/16/21 7:19 PM, Ethan Gyles wrote:
>> > There was no consultation with the neighborhood association and this is
>> generally a surprise to me. I much prefer neckdowns to speed bumps. I
>> understand some of the background on the notion of traffic calming on these
>> streets was discussed at community meetings Councilor LaFortune hosted,
>> though she noted on our Facebook group that she didn?t know the speed bumps
>> were being deployed until she saw them. Her Facebook comments are below:
>> >
>> > ?Hi Ethan, I actually did not know the city was installing the speed
>> bumps the until I saw them. We have ?talked about the speeding and traffic
>> mitigation at many community meetings, where folks have asked aboug speed
>> bumps. For the last three years the traffic engineer has been conducting
>> speed counts/traffic studies throughout the ward. Many people have
>> complained about the speeding on all the streets. It looks like the speed
>> bumps were the recommendations from the traffic commission. All
>> recommendations are align with safety protocols and include imput from
>> public safety (fire, police EMS). I do wish we were given a heads up. I am
>> getting more information. I too live on the corner of one of these streets
>> And have watched cars, motorcycles speed from N. Main to hope. Parents and
>> residents have complained about speeding on cemetery road, and MHCC is
>> asking for speed bumps on Camp. I'll get more details about how the
>> decision was made.....and ask for information to share.?
>> >
>> >> On May 16, 2021, at 7:06 PM, Emlyn Addison <noisyblocks at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> ?
>> >> I agree. I drove home via W River street today where there have been
>> speed bumps installed for several years (behind the USPS facility); they're
>> markedly lower and easier to drive over.
>> >>
>> >> I don't know how these came to be installed so suddenly
>> (are?neighborhoods generally consulted first?) and why they appear to be so
>> poorly constructed. Apparently they're not cheap either.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Emlyn
>> >>
>> >> On Sat, May 15, 2021 at 5:37 PM John Bazik <jbazik at gmail.com <mailto:
>> jbazik at gmail.com>> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>     I think the speed bumps are terrible.? Years ago, I helped bring
>> curb extensions to the neighborhood for the same purpose: to reduce
>> speeding and making our streets more pedestrian-friendly.? We looked at
>> speed bumps back then, and there were strong emotions for and against.? One
>> thing I learned was that there are good bumps and bad bumps.? Good bumps,
>> as I understand it, are wide and parabolic.? At low speeds, they are easy
>> to drive over and plows handle them easily.? Bad bumps are unpleasant at
>> any speed and impossible for plows.? The good ones are more expensive and
>> take more planning.? An example of the good ones are in Kennedy plaza.
>> >>
>> >>     As I drove up Rochambeau today, the guy behind me swerved into the
>> opposing lane to avoid them.
>> >>
>>
>>
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>>
>
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